As a lifelong Pittsburgh Steeler fan (beginning in 1955) I want to say a few words about the passing of Steeler great Franco Harris at the age of 72. As all football fans know, the Hall of Fame running back was due to have his number 32 retired by the Steelers this week at a half-time ceremony on Christmas Eve on the 50th anniversary of the so-called "Immaculate Reception". Then, unexpectedly, just days before the ceremony, Franco passed away.
The Immaculate Reception was the most iconic play in team history and came in a playoff game in 1972 against the Oakland Raiders when on 4th and ten with seconds left in the game and the Steelers losing 7-6, Harris caught a pass deflected off a collision between intended receiver John Fuqua and Oakland defensive back Jack Tatum. It resulted in Harris scoring the winning touchdown. I watched it live on television.
Here it is.
1972 was the first year the Steelers had won any kind of title in the NFL, in this case, their first divisional title. It was two more years before they won their first Super Bowl.
The week prior to the Immaculate Reception, I had driven down from Los Angeles to San Diego to watch the Steelers close out the regular season by defeating the San Diego Chargers and thus, win their first divisional title. For me, it was an important milestone.
Aside from the miraculous nature of the play, to this day, there has been a controversy as to whether Harris actually caught the deflected pass or if it had touched the ground. There was also the question of whether Tatum or Fuqua had first touched the ball. Under the rules at the time, had Fuqua first touched the ball, the pass would have been ruled incomplete.
As to the first question, while most video replays of the play are inconclusive, I once saw a clip from the vantage point of the line of scrimmage which shows clearly that Harris caught the ball off his shoe tops. For some reason, I have never seen that clip again.
As to the second point, no matter how many times I watch it, I can't tell who touched the ball first, Fuqua or Tatum. However, a friend of mine who is a Raider fan points out that Tatum hit Fuqua from behind making it unlikely that he touched the ball first. In addition, I should have also noticed the fact that Fuqua was sent sprawling by the hit, making it even more probable that he touched the ball first.
Before moving on to Franco as a person, I need to say that the Steeler team of the 70s and the players on that team will always be near to my heart for the happiness they gave me as one who had grown up a frustrated fan of the team that had been NFL doormats since their inception in 1933.
1972 was also Franco's rookie season, and he was quickly a fan favorite in Pittsburgh with his "Franco's Italian Army" (Franco's mother was Italian.) These were not just fans in the stands to Franco. He became friends with them and attended many of their get-togethers. Altogether, both in his playing days and in retirement, Franco stayed close to the Pittsburgh community and was known for his humble, friendly nature. There were never any off-the-field issues or controversies. He represented the Steelers well.
Although this has not been a good season for the Steelers, I wanted to watch the game Christmas Eve, coincidentally enough against the now-Las Vegas Raiders. But not having the "beloved" NFL Network channel, I had to be content jumping from YouTube clips that were partially blocked. To make matters worse, while showing the halftime ceremony, the network cut away just as a video presentation was being shown in the stadium.
It is my understanding that today, there will be a final viewing at Acrisure Stadium in Franco's honor. All in all, the Steelers are giving Franco a great sendoff as he deserves. Along with Roberto Clemente, he will always be a beloved figure in Pittsburgh.
No comments:
Post a Comment